The last years have experienced a gradual increase in the duration of cinematographic films, at a time when the visual content provided on platforms and social media applications has become short and kidnapped.
The average duration of films since the 1930s has set up about 90 minutes at 120 minutes of our time, and the duration of the film in the past depended on the size of the film, which works for about 11 minutes.
The average length of the film is still 9 rolls, that is to say 90 to 110 minutes, and the higher the number of rollers, the higher the cost of the film’s load.
But the technological development and the digital photography of the films contributed to the duration of the film without worrying about the weight of the weight of pastilles and the cost of shipping, so the film has just become a digital file which can be sent without effort or cost.
And digital photography was not the only factor that contributed to the increase in the time of cinematographic films, but rather made the multiplicity of theaters and the rise in power of electronic distribution platforms, on filmmakers, producing long films without worrying about the additional cost, because the display of films in different places and platforms.
Directors prefer long films
Some directors prefer total freedom regarding the creation of their films, but this privilege is not available for everyone. Some great directors such as Christopher Nolan, Martin Scorsese and Queen Tarantino can demand more time for their films, because production companies know that major names mean better marketing.
In addition, long films have become more fun for the price of the ticket, and therefore more popularity and greater income, and this can be observed thanks to more successful success.
For example, the duration of the first two films in the series “The Lord of the Rings” was less than 3 hours, while the period of the third part exceeded 3 hours, and the series fully successful in the box office.
There is also the film “Avatar: The Way of Water”, which reached 192 minutes, and director James Cameron defended his film at the time of his screening in 2022, saying that criticizing the duration of the film is not fair, because the public is ready to watch a full season of a television series in a single session, or about 5 hours.
Films between the house and the theaters
The difference between watching long movies in cinemas cannot be ignored and watched at home. The difficulties of displaying long movies in the cinema are summarized by sitting for long periods, or a feeling of boredom in certain viewers and the desire to leave, while all these difficulties fade by watching long films on the comfortable house sofa and by choosing the time of the operation and the time of suspension.
Consequently, with the growing production of long films and the public welcoming him, the theaters began to re-designed the breaks in the middle of the film, to allow viewers to move or comfort to improve the experience of watching films and reducing boredom among viewers.
The most famous film for the most famous directors
The American Director Martin Scorsese is considering one of the Most Famous Films, and his Longest Films Are “Killers of the Flower Moon” in 2023, which Reached the Duration of About 3 Hours and 35 minutes, and the movie “The Irishman” in 2019, Which Reached 3 Hours and 29 minutes, and the movie “Casino” (Casino) 1995 with a period of Two hours and 58 minutes, in Addition to the movie “The Wolf of Wall Street” in 2013, with a duration of 3 hours.
The biggest director Francis Ford Coppola is the film “The Godfather Part II”, which was shown in 1974, 3 hours and 22 minutes, and the film “The End of the World Now” (Apocalypse Now Redux) in 2001, with a duration of 3 hours and 22 minutes.
One of the biggest directors Quentin Tarantino is “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood”, which was presented in exhibition halls in 2019, with a period of two hours and 41 minutes, while Stanley Kubrick is one of his biggest films “Barry Lyndon”, which was 3 hours and 5 minutes.
The highest film films and the film “Lawrence of Arabia” cannot be ignored in 1962, 3 hours and 47 minutes. Akira Korosawa is 3 hours and 27 minutes, and “Once Upon A Time in America” in 1984 by director Sergio Leoni and his duration in the full version of 4 hours and 11 minutes, as well as “The Brutalist”, which was shown in 2024 by director Brady Corbit, who reached a presentation of 3 hours and 35 minutes.